Siege of Faenza (1501)

The Siege of Faenza (1501) was a siege of the Italian War of 1499-1504. The Papal Captain-General Cesare Borgia's army laid siege to the city, ruled by the popular Astorre III Manfredi, and launched two assaults on the city. The first failed, costing him 3,000 men, but he later

Siege
During his campaigns in Romagna, Cesare Borgia fought and conquered a mosaic of small Italian city-states, leading an army of 10,000 French, Gascon, Spanish, and other mercenary forces in a series of sieges. He managed to subdue Bologna without a siege, instead outwitting its ruler, Giovanni II Bentivoglio, who sent his son Ermete Bentivoglio to serve Borgia. Taking the advice of the prepubescent boy Ermete, Borgia challenged Faenza, despite knowing the loyalty of its citizens to their duke, Astorre III Manfredi. Astorre was immensely popular, and the people were ready to fight for him; statues were melted down into cannons, and even women trained to fight. The Faenzan chancellor Bernado Grammante offered his services to Borgia, offering to deceive the people of Faenza in exchange for coin. Borgia, insulted by Grammante's betrayal of his own people, had Grammante burned alive. He then proceeded to order a direct assault on the city, but this assault failed, costing him 3,000 losses.

Borgia grieved over his losses, but he was convinced to return to the siege after Leonardo da Vinci brought him a powerful new weapon, a large crossbow. Leonardo da Vinci also prepared a gas that could poison the people of Faenza; Borgia believed that the threat of using the poison gas would force Manfredi to surrender. He had Astorre Manfredi brought out to parley, and they tested the poison gas on two of his attendants, killing them. Manfredi agreed to surrender, and Cesare Borgia befriended the young ruler, promising that the two of them would rule Faenza jointly, help the poor, and humble the rich.